The Phonebox Cosy tale

On the 8th of July 2009 the Knit the City Yarn Corps stood back, in the heart of police-swarmed Parliament Square and the shadow of Big Ben, to wipe their brows, exhale with relief and put away their tapestry needles and cable ties after another successful yarnstorm.

The infamous Phonebox Cosy stood proud and woolly in the dusk and all was right with the world of graffiti knitting once more.

It was a journey of covert phonebox measuring, panic knitting, strawberry beer sewing, emergency stretched stitch saving, and a run in with the long arm and confused faces of the law.

Grab a seat by the fire, top up your tea, and we’ll tell you all about it through the medium of interpretive dance words and pictures.

It all began with a big idea, some woolly thoughts and an undying love of London. Mix them all together, grab yourself a tape measure, spend a week with six people knitting like the devil is after them and wants their soul and their stash, and before you know it you’ve got half a phonebox lying on the carpet in a deserted area of the Royal Festival Hall.

Phonebox Cosy template hot off the press and on the floor

Secret phonebox cosy formula

Cut to the big day. Passers by pootling about the National Theatre stop to ask what on earth we think we’re doing. We’re not so sure ourselves.

At least to the point where we can stop for a pint of strawberry beer or two to fortify us for the yarnstorm ahead. The remaining sewing will henceforth be done on site. Eek!

Tools of the trade

We practised on a less exposed phonebox a half hour before descending on our target. Those of us who attended the practice have vowed to never speak of it again. Due to the horror there is no photo documentation of this part of the yarnstorm. Feel free to watch the latter parts of The Shining and Blair Witch for reference.

Some major adjustments were going to have to made in order to counteract our dreaded enemy the Stitch Sag. Curses!

We arrived on site from all parts of the city. There were police everywhere but when a yarnstorm has been planned this much and worked on this hard it is going to happen. Even if we all get locked up.

Target acquired. We are go.

And so we began.

How are we going to get it up there? How about...

Halfway into the yarnstorm the ello ello ello of the local constabulary could be heard. Brave Lady Loop stepped up to turn on her cashmere-like charm. After some eye-narrowing, a few head scratches, and a couple of cheeky phone photos ‘for the wife’ who apparently knits too, we are let off with a Stop and Search warning. The search grounds are that we were “seen decorating telephone box for photography session”.

It was at this point the Yarn Corps were particularly glad we’ve chosen to ‘yarnstorm’ rather than ‘yarnbomb’. In London the B word has too much history for us to be flinging it about wrapped in wool.

How could anyone object to such a vibrant way to decorate a phone box? It’s such a joyful project. If the police concern themselves with stuff like this, then clearly their priorities are all wrong! Love this knitting project. So much fun.

“This Phonebox Cosy is dedicated to the memory of June. Whose yarn was nefariously used to knit most of it. We are assured she would have loved it, and probably joined in with the yarnstorm if she’d been there” … how proud am I – my gran “June” loved to knit and knowing something of hers could have caused so much attention would have thrilled her! Brilliant … well done.

Thanks for stopping by our blog to let us know. We’re so pleased to be able to do something she would have loved with her yarn. There was so much of it! Rest assured it will be used in many more sneaky yarnstorms.